Spike puller



Jan. 30, 1923. 1,443,900. a. B. McCORMICK. SPIKE FULLER FILED DEC,'|311921- 2 SHEETS-3HE'ET l- INYENTOR A ATTORNEY WITNESS5$ J an. 30, 1923.

1,443,900. a B. McCORMlCK.

SPIKE FULLER.

FILED DEC. 13. 1921. 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 3%, 1923.

TQE

SPIKE PULLER;

Application filed lJergmber :13, 1921. Serial. No.-522,03.1'.'

To all 10 7mm it may concern Be it-known that I, GEORGE BYRON M CORMICK, acitizen of the United States, residing at. Millersburg,

Pullers, of which the following is a. specification.

An object of this invention is to produce a means whereby a railway spike can be drawn inan easy and expeditious manner by a single operatonwit-houtinjury to the spike.

A further object is to produce a means for removing spikes from railway ties that includes a hook member which is received overt-hehead of a rail and aspike engagingmember which is pivoted to the hook member, said spike engaging member havmg a rounded face which is designed to rest ona .tie and which serves as a fulcrum, the said member having ltsouter-end headed and designed to beforcibly contacted by a sledge or hammer-to rock the same on its of the tie.v I

A further objectis to produce a spike puller in. which the partsconstituting the same shall be small and comparatively light in weight so that the device 021115106 easily handledwhen being conveyed from. place to place and .also wherein the parts are of such COIlStIUCtlOIl. as to. readily engage a the spike engaging element, in counter-distinction to the push bar construction.- ordi narily employed in such devices is'susceptible to blows from a hammer or sledge in removing the spike.

A still further object is to produce a spike puller having means associated therewith which servesto force the claw member of the device into engagement with the spike and which also serves-as a protector for in the county. of- 5 Holmes and State of Ohio, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Spike fulcrum surface and to draw the spike out rail and the spike to be pulled,- and wherein ment inoperative position;

Figure 2 is an approximately-central ver-v tical longitudinal; sectional view. through. the improvement, the railbeinglalso insec- Figure 3 is a plan view looking toward; the under face of the claw;

Figure l-is aperspective viewof the-jaw carrying member.

Referring now to the drawings in, detail,1, the numeral 1 designates 'airail which is}. supported on a tie 2 and is securedrthereto; by spikes 3. v

y improvement contemplates the em.- ployment of a yoke 4, the connecting element for-the arms of which being formedi with an extension 5 that terminates ina, downturned widened flange 6. The outer.- end ofithe yoke, including the extension 5 and flange 6 provides a hook that'is, designed to be arranged .over-t-he head of the: rail 1, the arms of the yoke bbeing di-, rected at a downward angle from the top;- and from the extension 5 thereof.

Between the arms 7 of the yoke-there is pivoted, as at 8 the claw carrying ;-member;- of the improvement. This member is; of-a comparatively short length, comprising-a shank or stockportion 9-which preferablyhas its outer end thickened to formthesamc with a head 10, the stock terminating atits opposite endin a widened portion orbody 11 whose under face is rounded {as at 12 and whose upperface isarranged at a.-.downward angle and may be rounded. The up; per face is indicated by the numeral 13 and. the pointed end provided between: the faces 12 and 13 is bifurcated, as atl l; thus, pro-- viding the claws 15 between which the head of the spike -is-tobe received.- Tlier-under face, of the rounded bottom portion 12ofi the body, between. the claws is grooved as at 16, and the upperfaces of {the claws are concaved orirounded inwardly, as atlZ-to the engaging edgescthereof. .Thei conoavedportionl'T provides a'seatifor the. headof the spike.

Secured to the exten'sionfi .andap rojected to wardthestock ;9 there :is one :endiof la ;-fiat spring member 18. The ;.portion of this, spring member between the arms of the yoke is widened. as at 19, and from thence the spring member is slightly rounded or arched, as at 20. This arched portion serves as a hand hold when the device is to be arranged in operative position and also may serve as a handle when the device is to be moved from place to place. In addition to this, the arched portion 20 is designed to contact with the inner face of the stock 9 to swing the stock on its pivot 8 to bring the claws thereof in spike engaging position. The widened portion 19 of the spring serves as a protector for preventing the heads of spikes which may be severed therefrom during the pulling thereof from flying against the face or person of the operator. The pivot 8 is removable, so that the stock and jaw members of the device may be separated for convenience in handling or storing when not in use.

lVhen the hook-like jaw is arranged on the rail and the claw end of the stock is brought by the spring to engage with the spike the operator grasps a hammer or sledge and swings the same into forcible contact with the head 10 of the stock 5). This causes the stock to rock upon the fulcrum surface provided by the rounded bottom portion of the body 11 thereof, swinging the claw end of the said body upwardly, and thus easily and quickly pulling the spike from the tie. Because of the groove 16 in the under face of the body and because of the pocket provided by the depression 17 for the head of the shank, and likewise because the claw portion of the improvement exerts an inward push against the spike at the juncture of the head and shank thereof, the spikes will be withdrawn without injury, except the liability of the severing of the head from the shank, incident to weather conditions, and when with drawn the shank will be held in a spread position between the claws to permit of the ready removal thereof by the operator. lVith my improvement, only one operator is employed, who may place himself in the most convenient position for wheeling the hammer or sledge, and as only oneblow of the sledge is ordinarily required in the re moval of the spike, the construction and advantages of my device will, it is thought, be apparent.

The yoke extension 5 is in the nature of a tongue, and the jaw element 6 of the hook is preferably slidable on the tongue, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. Between the yoke and the sides of the tongue 5 there are helical springs 21. se cured to both the yoke and the inner face of the aw 6. By this arrangement the jaw is normally forced onthe tongue toward the body of the yoke, and also by this. arrangement the device will readily adapt itself to varying thickness of rails. Preferably, and as illustrated by the dotted lines in Figure 1 of the drawings, there is a binding element, such as a thumb bolt 22 screwed in an opening in the top of the jaw 6 to frictionally contact with the tongue 5, and thereby hold the jaw adjusted with respect to the. yoke 4.

Having described the invention, I claim 1. In a spike puller, a fork member having a hook at one end thereof, a stock having a rounded body pivoted between the arms of the yoke and said body having its pointed edge bifurcated to provide claws, and spring means between the hook and stock exerting a pressure onthe stock to swing the same and the body thereof in one direction.

2. In a spike puller, a forked member having a hooked extension, a stock of a comparatively short length having one end formed with a rounded edge which is pivotally secured between the arms of the yoke and which has its outer end terminating in a joint, said joint being bifurcated to provide spike engaging claws, the under face of the head in a line with the bifurcation being grooved and the upper face of the head in a line with the claws being concaved, and a flat spring member secured to the hook having a widened portion arranged between the arms of the yoke and an arched extension which is in contacting engagement with the inner face of the stock.

8. In a spike puller, a yoke including a tongue having downwardly extending arms at one end thereof, a jaw slidable on the tongue, means adjustably securing the jaw on the tongue, a stock having a rounded lower portion which is pivoted bet-ween the arms of the yoke, and said lower portion having a pointed end which is bifurcated to provide claws.

4. In a spike puller, a tongue having a yoked end which extends downwardly therefrom, a jaw slidable on the tongue, spring means influencing the jaw in the direction of the yoke, binding means between the yoke and tongue, a stock having a lower rounded. portion which terminates in a pointed end and which rounded portion is pivotally secured between the arms of the yoke, the pointed end of the stock being bifurcated to provide claws, and a flat spring member in line with the tongue and disposed between the arms of the yoke.

I n testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE BYRON McCOR-M CK. 

